Train signaling and controlling system.



C. S. CURRIER. mm SIGNALING AND commune SYSTEM.

, APPLICATION FILED JULY 15. I914- 1,19Q590. Patented July 11, 1916.

C. S. CURRIER.

TRAIN SIGNALINGv AND CONTROLLING SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 15. 1914. V

Patented July 11, 1916.

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APPLICATION FILED JULY I5, I9I4. v 1,11%,520. 1 1116111611 July 11, 1916.

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C. S. CURRIER.

TRAIN SIGNALING AND CONTROLLING SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 15. 1914.

Patented July 11, 1916.

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CURTIS S.

CURRIER, OF PONTIAC, MICHIGAN.

Specification of Letters'Patent.

Patented July ii, ieie.

Application filed July 15, 1914. Serial No. 851,214.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, CUn'rIs S. CURRIER, citizen of the United States, residing at Pontiac, in the county of Oakland and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Train Signaling and Controlling Systems, of which the fol lowing is a specification.

My invention relates to improved means operating automatically to arrest the move ment of one train should the same enter (from the rear) a block or track section already occupied by another.

As its primary object, the invention contemplates means actuatable by a passingtrain to first signal and then position or set a semaphore arm or trip in such relation to the track as to engage and actuate suitable train carried control means should a second train, having the said control means mounted thereon, enter, from the rear, the block or track section already occupied by the train acting upon or operating the said trip means.

The above and additional objects are accomplished by such means as are illustrated in their preferred embodiment in the accompanying drawings, described in the following specification and then more particularly pointed out in the claims which are appended hereto and form a part of this application.

In describing my invention in detail reference will be had to the accompanying drawings wherein like characters denote like or corresponding parts throughout the several views, and in which Figure 1 is a plan View illustrating the relative arrangement of the track obstacle and the train carried control means engageable therewith; Fig. 2 is an elevation, partly in section, of a portion of a locomotive showing the arrangement of the train carried control means mounted thereon; Fig. 8 is an enlarged section of the operating valve; Fig. 4: is a horizontal section of the valve; Fig. 5 is a section of a second valve operable to control the steam supply; Fig. 6 is a sect n 1 the line 6-4 of g 5; Fig. 7 is a plan view of the element or block operable to control movement of the trip means; Fig. 8 is a section on the line 88 of Fig. 7; Fig. 9 is a section on the line 9-9 of Fig. 8; Fig. 10 is a longitudinal sectional view of the means operable to actuate the trip device and the signaling means; Fig. 11 is a similar View, the trip device and signaling means being in an operative position; Fig. 12 is an elevation of the trip operating means, the casing therefor being shown in section; Fig. 13 is an end view of the said operating means, the casing being in section; Fig. 14: is a fragmentary view illustrating the manner in which the switch devices or contacts are mounted; and Fig. 15 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the several circuits necessary to operation of the controlling means.

Referring now to the drawings by numerals, l designates a track section, 2 a locomotive, 3 the train carried control means, and 1 the operating mechanism therefor, the said train carried control means and the said operating mechanism being each designated as an entirety.

Mounted upon the top of the locomotive cab is a suitable rotary valve 5, the said valve consisting of a casing 6, valve 7 and operating shaft 8, the latter extending concentrically through the valve 7, and having mounfi'ed thereon, exteriorly of the casing, a sleeve like support 9, within each end of which an arm 10 is fitted, the said arms being adjustable relatively to the support 9 to provide for their disposition in the path of the track obstacle or operating mechanism a to be hereinafter fully described. Support 9 is rigid with the shaft 8 and is adapted to turn the latter when actuated or engaged by the said operating means. The periphery of the valve 7 is cut away as indicated at 11, that portion cut away being normally positioned out of registration or alinement with the branch terminals of an air pipe 12 leading into the valve casing.

An air outlet pipe 13 is open to the interior of the casing 6, the said outlet pipe being branched, the terminals of the branched portion being open to, the valve interior at 25 ing and connected to the valve by means of a points adjacent the extremities of the branch terminals of the inlet pipe 12, this arrangement causing the said valve member 7, when turned by actuation of supportmember 9, to aline that portion cut away as at 11 with one of the inlet. and outlet pipe terminals,

this'arrangement, as is apparent from the foregoing, providinga break in the air line and p'ermitting,in a manner common to the art, a setting of the air brakes normally held inoperative by the compressed air within the 7 pipe line of the train. If desired, manually operated means such as indicated at 14 may be provided for actuation of the valve.

A second valve, designated a an entirety =by the numeral 15, disposed adjacent the steam dome 16 of the locomotive, and open to the steam pipe line17 thereof, is also actuatable through'movement of support member 9, the said valve 15 comprising a casing 18 into which sections of the pipe line 17 extend. A rotary valve member 19 is operable within the casing 18, said valve member being actuatable through movement of a lever20 mounted exteriorly of the valve casstub shaft 21' extending into the casing and through the valve as shown to advantage in Fig.5. Lever20 is connected at each end to support member 9 through the medium of rods 22, such connection providing for a sisists of a semaphore blade or trip member 27 turned or actuated, ports 25, disposed one *upon each s1de of the groove or passage way 24'aline steam pipe 17 with either one or the 7 other of the pipes 26 leading to the whistles 23, the steam pressure within the 'li e 17 causing the whistles, that is, one of them, to be blown, at the same time shutting off the steam supply the locomotive.

. Having described in detail the construction and operation of the train carried control means, I shallnow proceed with a detail description of the construction and operation of the operating means therefor. The said operating means, or track obstacle, conmounted upon a vertical shaft 28 in turn supported in a perpendicular or upright position by means" ofatubular extension 29 forming a part of a casing or housing desig nated as an entirety by the numeral 30.

Shaft 28'has mounted upon its lower ext-remity a spirally grooved block or element 31,

V the groove 32 of which is so formed or cut necessary to the running of.

as to impart to the shaft 28 a quarter turn when raised or lowered in a manner to be hereinafter fully described. A pin 33, rigid with a cylindrical easing section 34 forming a part of housing 30, by reason of its enserves as a means whereby member 31 is held against turning except when elevated sulficiently to disengage the lug and the recess.

"Within housing 30 and as shown, within the base section 36 thereof, is arranged or disposed the mechanism operable to raise and lower shaft 28, said mechanism consisting of a cam device 37 (flattened at one end) mounted eccentrically upon a shaft 38 journaled in uprights or brackets 89 arranged within the housing. A roller 40 is engageable with the cam surface of cam device 37, the roller being mounted upon the lower extremity of a rod 41 operating within an opening therefor designated 42, of the housing, the opposite end of the rod from that supporting the roller 40 being directly engageable with the under side of block or element 81.

Cam device 37 is movable in one direction by means of a gear 43 mounted upon shaft 38, the gear being normally in mesh with a bodily movable gear 44 carried by an arm 45 oscillatable about a shaft 46 curnaled withinthe bracket 39 aforesaid. A leaf spring 47 exerts suflicient pressure upon arm 45 to normally hold gear 44 in mesh with gear 43, the former being movable out of mesh only upon actuation. of cam device 37, an extension 48 of the cam by reason of its engagement with a lug 49 of the arm causing the said gear 44 to be bodily moved. Gear 44 is at all times in mesh with a third gear 50, the latter gear being mounted upon shaft 46, and driven directly by a motor 51 operable within the housing as shown.

The above mechanism is actuatable to elevate rod 41 and accordingly block 31 and shaft 28. Mechanism in duplicate is arranged upon the opposite side of eccentric 37, said mechanism being controlled by a motor 52 and actuatahle to reversely operate the eccentric and in this manner provide for a lowering of the rod 41, element 31, and shaft 28. A lug 53 projects laterally from the cam device 37, the lug being engageable with support arm mounted upon the opposite side of the cam device from that upon which support arm 45 is mounted, this arrangement, as is apparent, causing one of the said support arms to be actuated by the lug to swing movable gear out of mesh with operating gear, and projection or extension 48 causing the other of the said arms to move the other of the bodily movable gears out of mesh with the other of the said operating gears.

The numerals relating to the train of gears upon one side of the cam device have been applied to the train of gears upon the opposite side thereof, the said gears being, as above set forth, substantially in duplicate.

Passing on to the description of the means actuatable to render motors 51 and 52 operative and inoperative as occasion may demand, the numeral 54 designates a movable contact arranged inside and adjacent one of the rails of the track, the said contact being recessed or cut away as indicated at 55, a guide member 56 operating therein. A spring 57 is arranged to embrace the guide member 56, one end of the spring abutting the under side of the contact 54 and the opposite end the base or floor of a suitable housing 58 within which the contact, guide member and spring is arranged. The top face of the contact 54 is cut away at one end as indicated at 59, that portion cut away, as illustrated to advantage in Fig. 9, causing the flange of a car wheel to move the said contact laterally without depressing the same against tension of spring 57. The opposite end of the contact 54 is shaped, as indicated at 60 in such a manner as to cause the said contact to be compressed against tension of the spring 57 upon the passage of a train over that portion of the track adjacent which the contact is disposed, the said contact when depressed, being adapted to close electrical circuits necessary to operation in a. manner to be hereinafter fully set forth. As a means whereby lateral movement of contact 54 is limited, I provide a pin 61 operating within a slot 62 therefor within the casing 58. Four of these contacts are placed within each block or track section, two adjacent each of the respective block terminals. In the diagrammatic view, Fig. 15, the four contacts have been designated respectively a, b, 0 and d. Contact (is is electrically connected with two of the motors designated E and H, and also with contact designated d. A train traveling in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 15 will cause contact a to be depressed, thereby closing the circuit necessary to the oper ation of motors E and H, permitting the said motors to be actuated. Motors E and H will operate simultaneously upon the respective eccentrics or cam devices 37 and cause block elements 31 to be elevated from the position shown in Fig. 10 to the posi tion shown in Fig. 11. A stationary contact 64 and a movable contact 65 are normally held in engagement, one with the other, by the said element 31 (the latter be ing in its lowermost position) thus permitting the circuit necessary to the operation of the motors E and H to be complete. Electrounagnetic devices 66 and 67, when contacts a and d are depressed, will, by reason of the contacts 68 and 69 being in engagement one with the other, be energized, thus holding the said contacts depressed until the elements 31 have been sufficiently raised to permit the said contacts 68 and 69 as Well as 64 and 65 to be automatically disengaged by the spring arrangement designated 70 and illustrated to advantage in Fig. 14. Continued movement of the elements 31 will cause contacts 71 and 72 to be moved into engagement one with the other; contacts 7 3 and 74 to be moved into engagement one with the other, and contacts 75 and 76 to be moved into engagement one' with the other; the former, 71 and 72 cansing electro-magnetic devices 77 and 78 to be energized, the next, contacts 73 and 74 causing the circuit necessary to the operation of motors F and G to be closed and the said motors to be set in motion upon a depression of the contacts Z) and 0; and finally, an incandescent lamp 79 carried by each shaft 28 to be lighted, the engagement between contacts 75 and 76 causing the lighting circuit to be closed, the said circuit above referred to remaining closed until the elements 31 are lowered by a closing of the circuit necessary to operation of motors F and G. Continned movement of the train past contact a into engagement with contact 6 will cause the latter to be moved laterally without being depressed, the train continuing to move, until in engagement with contact 0, the latter being depressed to close the circuit necessary to operation of motors F and G. The motors F and G being set in motion, it is apparent that a reverse operation of the eccen trics 37 will be put into effect, such operation causing the element 31 to be lowered and the lamp or light 79 simultaneously extinguished and the electromagnetic devices 77 and 7 S to be simultaneously deenergized.

It is thought unnecessary to refer to the conductors completing the several circuits by numerals or reference characters as the diagrammatic view, Fig. 15, is thought to clearly show the arrangement of the wires and circuits necessary to the operation of the device.

From the foregoing, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings it is apparent that a moving train will be signaled first, and then automatically brought to a standstill should the said train enter (from the rear) a block or track section already occupied by another train; that the signaling devices and operating mechanism are automatically rendered inoperative by the passage of the train from the block or track section of which the controlling means is a sions in that the trainman upon the train that hasbeen brought to a stop at the exit 1 of a block may run ahead and flag the train that is within the block and coming in his direction. If desired, the train brought to a stop at the exit of a block may, in view of such automatic operation, back out of the 1 block within which it has been stopped, into the preceding block, and thus set the signal within said latter block to stop the oncoming train. 7

In practice, I have found that the form of my invention, illustrated in the drawings and referred to in the above description, as the preferred embodiment, is the most efficient and practical; yet realizing that the conditions concurrent with the adoption of my device will necessarily vary, I desire to emphasize the fact that various minor changes in details of construction, proportion and arrangement of parts may be resorted to, when required, without sacrificing any of the advantages of my invention, as

, controlled through movement of defined in the appended claims.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new. and desire to secure by'Letters Patent, is

1. Incombination with train carried control means, actuating means therefor including a trip arm movable into and out of operative position, a shaft uponwhich the said arm is mounted, a spirally grooved block rigid with the said shaft, actuating means engageable with the said block and a passing train to elevate the block, stationary means engageable with the groove in the block to impart tothe said arm a quarter turn simultaneously with the elevation of the block, and means controlled through movement of a passing train, said last mentioned means being actuatable to lower the said block and return the said arm to its normal inoperative position, asand for the purpose set forth.

2. In combination with train carried control means, actuating means therefor includ ing a trip arm movable into and outof operative position, a shaft upon whichthe said arm is mounted, ,a spirally grooved block rigid with the shaft, a pin stationary relatively to theblockand fitting the. groove therein, means operable to elevate the block, means actuatable by a passing train to control said operating means, independent means operable to lower the said block, and means actuatable by a passing train to control movement of said last mentioned operating means, as and for the purpose set forth.

3. In combination with train carried control means, actuating means therefor including a trip arm movable into and out of operative position, a shaft upon which the said arm is mounted, a spirally grooved block rigid with the shaft, means stationary relatively to the block and fitting the said groove, to impart to the said arm a turning movement when elevated through movement of said block, motor controlled means engageable with the said block to elevate the same, means actuatable by a passing train, said means being in electrical communication with the motor to control operation thereof, motor controlled means operable to lower the said block, and means actuatable by a passing train in electrical communication with the said last mentioned motor, as and for the purpose set forth.

4-. In combination with train carried control means, actuating means therefor including a trip arm, a shaft upon which the said arm is mounted, means carried by the said shaft for imparting thereto a quarter turn when actuated, motor control means including an eccentric operable to control'movement of said shaft, means actuatable by a passing train, said means being in electrical communication with said motor control means, motor control means operable to lower the said shaft, means actuatable by a passing train, said last mentioned means being in electrical communication with said last mentioned motor control means, as and for the purpose set forth.

5. In combination with train carried control means, actuating means therefor including a trip arm movable into and out of operative position, a shaft upon which the said arm is mounted, a spirally grooved block mounted upon the said shaft, a pin stationary relatively to the block and fitting the groove to impart to the said arm a turning movement when actuated, an eccentric actuatable to raise and lower the said block,

, motor control means operable to actuate the eccentric for elevating the said block, motor control means operable to actuate the eccentric to lower the said block, and means actuatable by a passing train to control operation of said motor controlmeans, as and for the purpose set forth.

6. In combination with train carried control means, actuating means therefor including a trip arm movable into and out of operative position, a shaft upon which the said arm is mounted, means mounted upon the said shaft, said means being actuatable upon movement ofthe-said shaft to impart to the arm a turning movement, an eccentric actuatable to raise and lower the said shaft,

a shaft upon which the said eccentric is mounted, means mounted upon the said shaft, said means being actuatable to move the eccentric in one direction and cause the a said trip arm to be elevated, means mounted upon the said shaft, said means being actuatable to move the eccentric in the opposite direction and cause said trip arm to be lowered, means actuatable by, a passing train to 10 control movement of the said first mentioned operating means, and means actuatable by a passing train to control movement of said last mentioned operating means, as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature 15 in presence of two Witnesses.

CURTIS S. CURRIER. Witnesses:

NEIL MGCALLUM, MERTON J. HANDS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, I). C. 

